The Stunningly Beautiful and Delicate Darling in the 1980s Military Compound - Chapter 106

After traveling by train for several days, Song Mingyue finally arrived in Mo City with her mother and baby girl. She had been out of touch with Zhang Jingjing and the others due to the remote location where they had been staying, which made even sending letters quite difficult. However, given the time that had passed, they surely knew that Mingyue had given birth.

After dropping off their belongings at home, Song Mingyue headed straight for her shop. Though she had been away for a while, Zhang Jingjing and Pei Xiaoyu had managed the business quite well. It was no wonder Pei Xiaoyu was destined to become the richest woman in the city; her work ethic was remarkably reliable.

As soon as the two saw Song Mingyue, they lost all composure, rushing over to hug her tightly. If anyone didn’t know better, they would have thought she had returned from a long journey abroad. Zhang Jingjing noticed her stomach immediately. “Yueyue, your baby… the baby has been born?”

“Yes, my mom is watching her at home.”

Pei Xiaoyu asked, “Is it a boy or a girl?”

“A girl.”

Zhang Jingjing exclaimed, “What are we doing still standing here? Let’s go see Yueyue’s baby!”

They had already hired staff for the shop, but the two women still insisted on doing the daily closing audit themselves. Seeing their eagerness, they immediately decided, “Let’s end things here for today. There’s not much business in the afternoon anyway.” While that wasn’t strictly true—there was usually a small rush during the evening commute—today was a special occasion, and their minds were no longer on the shop.

When Zhang Jingjing returned to Mingyue’s home and saw the baby, she was surprised at how big she had already grown. At a glance, she looked quite a bit like Song Mingyue. Life truly was a miraculous continuation. After coaxing the baby, Zhang Jingjing asked, “Yueyue, what was it like when you gave birth? Tell us all about it.”

That experience had been intense. It wasn’t something that could be explained in a sentence or two, so Song Mingyue kept it brief, mentioning that a doctor had delivered the baby right in the middle of the flood disaster. Even in those few short sentences, it was clear that she had suffered greatly. Hearing this, Zhang Jingjing was on the verge of tears. She was Mingyue’s best friend, yet Mingyue had been all alone when she went into labor. Song Mingyue comforted her, “It’s over now. I’ve decided I’m only having one child in this lifetime—I’ll never have to face that nightmare again.”

Zhang Jingjing then updated her on the shop. Not long after Mingyue left, a new department store had opened in the city. The owner was reportedly from Hong Kong, and the clothes were styled in a retro Hong Kong fashion, which had poached quite a few of their customers. Zhang Jingjing reassured her, “But don’t worry too much; our business has stabilized, and our foot traffic is consistent.”

With the arrival of economic growth in this era, more and more shops were bound to appear. There was little they could do other than maintain their own high standards. Now that Mingyue had given birth, she would have more time to study the latest fashion trends, so she wasn’t worried at all.

Mingyue was more concerned about Zhang Jingjing’s personal life. “Has Old Yu been coming by to pester you during this time?”

At the mention of him, Zhang Jingjing was furious. “Yueyue, he even wrote a letter to Battalion Commander Chen, reporting you and Cheng Er’s past. It didn’t affect your relationship, did it?”

When Zhang Jingjing had first heard of it, she had wanted to smash that piece of trash with a hammer. Instead of making amends for anything, he only knew how to add fuel to the fire. Song Mingyue was surprised—Chen Che hadn’t even mentioned it to her. But considering he was capable of such a thing, it showed just how small that man’s character was.

Zhang Jingjing continued, “I’ve already started the divorce proceedings. I don’t care about saving face anymore; it should be finalized within three months at the latest.” In this era, being a divorced woman was rare, but Zhang Jingjing wasn’t afraid. Instead, she was looking forward to her future. Whether she had a man in her life or not didn’t matter—she was determined to live her life with more brilliance than before.

Ever since Song Mingyue returned, there were constant visitors coming to see the baby. She had originally wanted to hire someone to help her mother with childcare, but she realized it was completely unnecessary. Every day, people came by to chat—everyone from local neighbors to old acquaintances from the compound. Seeing how cute little Yao Yao was, even the elderly enjoyed playing with her.

Song Mingyue devoted most of her energy to her career. To counter the impact of the new department store, she was the first to introduce a membership program. Customers who bought a store card would receive discounts on clothing, with higher tiers offering better rates. The strategy was highly effective, and before long, she dominated the market in Mo City again.

When the baby turned one hundred days old, Song Mingyue hosted a grand celebration in the city. At the same time, many people arrived from Pingcheng, including Mingyue’s father and brother, as well as Chen Che’s parents, uncle, and aunt.

Before their arrival, Chen Che had already informed them via phone and letter that while the child was their granddaughter, she would carry the surname Song. His father, Chen Daoyuan, had initially opposed it firmly—how could a descendant of the Chen family have someone else’s surname?

But Chen Che had no desire to argue. He told his father about the night he had almost died in the landslide. “Dad, if it weren’t for her, not to mention the child, my life would be over. You haven’t done anything for the baby, while Mingyue has sacrificed and given everything. I am not consulting you; I am informing you. The child’s surname is Song. The baby’s hundred-day celebration is coming up soon. I know Mingyue has invited you, and you are welcome to come, but if you cause a scene, then from that day forward, I will no longer carry the Chen surname.”

What a rebellious son! Chen Daoyuan had always been the one in charge, yet after Chen Che spoke so calmly and firmly, he found he couldn’t communicate with him at all. Parents understand their children, and Chen Daoyuan knew that Chen Che wasn’t throwing a tantrum or making empty threats. If they really caused trouble, Chen Che would truly sever ties with them.

But why should a child of the Chen family have someone else’s surname?

That night, Chen Daoyuan spoke to his wife, Zhou Fang, about it. He expected her to be furious—at least more emotional than he was. To his surprise, Zhou Fang said indifferently, “Let her take whatever surname she likes. We won’t force it. She is still Chen Che’s child and my granddaughter.”

“You aren’t angry?”

Zhou Fang went upstairs alone, refusing to speak further. Of course, she was angry. But on her way back from Mo City, she had seen other people’s little babies on the train and had promised herself that as long as she could have a grandchild, she would accept any condition. Zhou Fang was a bit religious and believed in karma and fate. Now that heaven had truly granted her a granddaughter, nothing else mattered. Under his wife’s influence, Chen Daoyuan let the matter rest. More importantly, he was dying to see his granddaughter.

And so, the Pingcheng family came together for the hundred-day celebration. Song Mingyue booked dozens of tables at a restaurant, inviting all the relatives and friends from the compound and the neighborhood. She explicitly requested that no one bring gifts; she was simply happy and wanted to host a lively celebration for her daughter. Even so, since the guests didn’t bring money, they bought toys and clothes for Yao Yao, filling an entire small room.

Yao Yao had been raised by Wang Yufen since birth, and the baby only recognized her and Song Mingyue. The guests were left helpless as they held her; if anyone held her for more than three minutes, Yao Yao would start to cry. Zhou Fang had been there for two days, and despite being a grandmother, she could only watch from the sidelines, envious. She had expected to be different from other elders; she was a highly educated woman, and she had raised Chen Che with a “hands-off” approach. But the bond between grandparents and grandchildren was truly a powerful thing.

At the banquet, Chen Daoyuan and Zhou Fang had specially prepared a gold collar for the baby. In this era, a silver one was considered impressive enough, yet Chen Daoyuan had gone straight for gold. As a leader, he knew how to speak well: “This collar was made from gold jewelry we had at home. The child has been raised entirely by her maternal grandmother, and we are nothing but grateful. We haven’t been able to do much.”

Song Aiguo immediately waved his hand at this. “Brother Daoyuan, you all have your own work to handle. Mingyue’s mother has retired, so she has the time to raise the child.”

Zhou Fang walked over and took Wang Yufen’s hand, finally letting go of the resentment she had held for so long. Only after arriving had she realized how troublesome raising a child was. Because the house was small and Mingyue had booked them a hotel, Zhou Fang had insisted on sleeping at Wang Yufen’s place just to spend more time with her granddaughter. Only then did she realize that the baby woke up twice every night. This meant that since the child was born, Wang Yufen hadn’t slept through a single night. Witnessing this touched Zhou Fang deeply.

Since things had reached this point, Song Mingyue accepted the gold collar, planning to let the baby wear it when she was older. She had the money; she wouldn’t let Yao Yao go without.

During the banquet, there was a “grabbing” ceremony (zhuazhou), where the baby chooses items to predict their future. To everyone’s surprise, Yao Yao reached for a book and refused to let go, causing the crowd to roar with laughter. She would likely follow in her father’s footsteps—a scholar fighting for the country. She was truly Battalion Commander Chen’s daughter, extraordinary from the start.

The crowd was rowdy and joyous. Song Mingyue, as the hostess, joined in the festivities with a smile. But as she scanned the banquet hall, she noticed everyone was there—except for Chen Che.

She suddenly realized she didn’t want her daughter to grow up to be like her father. Returning home, she partnered with the government to open “Hope Primary Schools,” planning to fund more and more schools for girls to receive an education as her company grew. She could even establish a foundation to make annual donations. As Chen Che’s wife, she wanted to share his ambition and do something for this era.

But Song Mingyue did not want her daughter to follow his path of suffering. She had witnessed the loneliness, the hardships, and the scars he carried along the way. Chen Che could endure that life, and she could endure it too—but she would not let her daughter suffer.

She would work even harder, make even more money, and let her daughter grow up in a life of ease. She would let her be a pampered “mother’s girl” for the rest of her life.